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Parth Vaishnav

Parth Vaishnav
Assistant Professor
Sustainable Systems
Climate + Energy
parthtv@umich.edu
CV

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About

My research aims to understand how technology can help solve social problems. Much of my work focuses on the environmental and human health consequences of energy production and use. I employ quantitative decision analysis, buttressed by qualitative insight, to understand how economic, political, and operational realities constrain technology deployment. 

I focus on finding strategies to decarbonize the economy, and to adapt to the warming that has and will occur even if we cut greenhouse gas emissions very rapidly. I am particularly interested in finding ways to make both mitigation and adaptation equitable. My projects fall into two broad categories:

  • The environmental consequences of electrification, and
  • The consequences of automation for the environment, equity, and work

Publications

JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS
Note: At Carnegie Mellon University, it was standard practice to co-author with students and for students to
assume first authorship. Collaboration is strongly encouraged. “+” indicates a Ph.D. student.

  1. Shen, X., Liu, P., Qiu, L., Patwardhan, A., Vaishnav, P., 2020. “Estimation of change in house sales prices in the United States after heat pump adoption” Nature Energy, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-020-00706-4
  2. Vaishnav, P., Fatimah, A.M., “The environmental consequences of electrifying space heating with current and future energy mixes” Environmental Science & Technology, 54(16), pp.9814-9823.
  3. Mohan, A.,+ Sripad, S., Vaishnav, P., Viswanathan, V., 2020. “Trade-offs between automation and light vehicle electrification” Nature Energy 5, 543–549
    • Notable paper: This paper explores the question of whether it is possible, in the medium term, to make light vehicles both autonomous and electric. It uses first-principles energy modeling to conclude that the energy penalty associated with automation will likely not exceed 15% of the range of electric vehicles currently on the market. It then advances a series of economic arguments that use customers’ revealed preferences to suggest that travelers will value autonomy more than they do this loss of range. The paper won the Herb Toor Award at EPP for Best Qualifier paper for my doctoral student Aniruddh Mohan.
  4. Reed, L., + Dworkin, M., Vaishnav, P., Morgan, M.G., 2020. “Expanding Transmission Capacity: Examples of Regulatory Paths for Five Alternative Strategies,” The Electricity Journal, 33(6), p.106770.
  5. Funk, P.,+ Davis, A., Vaishnav, P., Dewitt, B., Fuchs, E.R.H., 2020. “Individual inconsistency and aggregate rationality: Overcoming inconsistencies in expert judgment at the technical frontier,” Forthcoming at Technological Forecasting and Social Change
    • Ian Wright, Managing Editor of www.engineering.com produced an eBook entitled, “Should You Use Additive Manufacturing to Produce Your Next Part?” which draws on this research and cites it. Available here: https://www.engineering.com/ResourceMain.aspx?resid=779
  6. Reed, L.,+ Morgan, M.G., Vaishnav, P., Armanios, D.E., 2019. “Converting existing transmission corridors to HVDC is an overlooked option for increasing transmission capacity.” PNAS 116, 13879–13884. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1905656116
  7. Bonnín Roca, J., Vaishnav, P., Laureijs, R.E., Mendonça, J., Fuchs, E.R.H., 2019. Technology cost drivers for a potential transition to decentralized manufacturing. Additive Manufacturing 28, 136–151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2019.04.010
    • Notable paper: This paper shows that the economics of distributed metal additive manufacturing (AM) are preferable to centralized additive manufacturing in only a limited set of circumstances. In some cases, political support for AM is based partially on the assumption that the technology will foster the localization of manufacturing. Some analysts speculate that AM will reduce the need for freight and contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This paper suggests that such expectations are overblown.
  8. Abdulla, A., Vaishnav, P., Sergi, B.,+ Victor, D.G., 2019. “Limits to deployment of nuclear power for decarbonization: Insights from public opinion.” Energy Policy 129, 1339–1346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2019.03.039
    • Notable paper: This paper demonstrates an approach to help analysts to estimate the extent to which public fear of a technology might constrain its development. For controversial technologies like nuclear power, modelers typically evaluate two extreme but unrealistic scenarios: one, where the technology is deployed to the extent that is economically optimal, and two, where the controversial technology is completely excluded. We show that it is possible for modelers to improve on this approach by estimating the extent to which a public will allow the deployment of a technology, given the public’s anxieties about it.
  9. Hanus, N.L.,+ Wong-Parodi, G., Darghouth, N.R., Vaishnav, P., Azevedo, I.L., 2019. “Solar PV as a mitigation strategy for the U.S. education sector,” Environmental Research Letters 14, 044004. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aafbcf

Research

Heating with Justice: How can we make electrified space heating equity

Education

Ph.D. Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University, 2015
M.Phil. Technology Policy, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, 2011
Master of Technological Design, National University of Singapore and Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands, 200
Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical), Minor in Bioengineering, National University of Singapore, 2003

In the News
New U-M study focuses on equity disparities of green technologies
November 14, 2023

New U-M study focuses on equity disparities of green technologies

Because large disparities in access to green technologies exist between countries in the Global North and the Global South and among different demographic groups within...

An electric car charging.
November 6, 2023

New U-M study reveals strategies for decarbonizing light-duty transportation in the U.S.

In early 2021, under the Biden administration, the National Climate Task Force convened for its first-ever meeting, bringing together leaders from across government...

electric vehicles charging
June 7, 2023

Full electrification of Uber and Lyft vehicles would provide only modest benefits to society, study shows

Contact: ericksn@umich.edu Both Uber and Lyft ride-hailing services have pledged to fully electrify their vehicle fleets by 2030 in the United States. The move would...

SEAS members awarded Catalyst Grants
May 19, 2023

SEAS members awarded Catalyst Grants

Five newly awarded sustainability Catalyst Grants will support a variety of projects designed to advance technical and behavioral interventions toward greater...

Ice storm and widespread power outages in Michigan: U-M experts available
February 23, 2023

Ice storm and widespread power outages in Michigan: U-M experts available

ANN ARBOR—More than 600,000 Michiganders were without power Thursday following a severe ice storm in southeast Michigan. University of Michigan experts are available to...

nuclear
February 16, 2023

SEAS faculty projects receive grants from U-M Carbon Neutrality Acceleration Program

Four University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) faculty members and an academic and research program officer are the recipients of Carbon...

forest
News date
November 1, 2022

Research Highlights

Research highlights from SEAS faculty.

New U-M study assesses the impact of automation on long-haul trucking
March 15, 2022

New U-M study assesses the impact of automation on long-haul trucking

ANN ARBOR—As automated truck technology continues to be developed in the United States, there are still many questions about how the technology will be deployed and what...

In the Media
08/29/2023
Parth Vaishnav
Are EVs Really That Good for the Environment? (Apple Podcasts)
08/14/2023
Parth Vaishnav
Automakers pursue energy reduction efforts in shift to renewable energy (The Detroit News)
08/07/2023
Parth Vaishnav
Shared e-scooters can be sustainable—but there’s a catch (Popular Science)
08/02/2023
Parth Vaishnav
Issues of the Environment: UM-led study shows electrification of ridesharing services to have overall benefit, with added challenges (WEMU)
06/19/2023
Parth Vaishnav
Electric rideshare cars cut pollution but not traffic (Yahoo News)
06/16/2023
Parth Vaishnav
Uber and Lyft going all electric won’t help as much as you think (MLive)
06/15/2023
Parth Vaishnav
If all ride-hailing cars were electric, would there be a net environmental benefit? (Anthropocene Magazine)
06/09/2023
Parth Vaishnav
Study: Full Electrification of Uber, Lyft Offers Marginal Benefits (DBusiness Magazine)
06/08/2023
Parth Vaishnav
Charging blunts benefits of electric ride-hailing, study finds (Clean Car Reports)
03/01/2023
Parth Vaishnav
Michigan utilities face power-outage challenges (Associated Press)
03/01/2023
Parth Vaishnav
DTE, Consumers challenges grow as bad weather and aging grid magnify power outages (Fox 2)
02/28/2023
Parth Vaishnav
DTE Energy, Consumers Energy face power-outage challenges (ABC News)
01/20/2023
Parth Vaishnav
In Pa., heat pumps could be a climate change solution. But contractors and customers would need to buy in (NPR State Impact)
11/29/2022
Parth Vaishnav
Energy-efficient heat pumps will be required for all new homes in Washington (Popular Science)
10/24/2022
Parth Vaishnav
How to Know Whether a Heat Pump Makes Sense as a Home Upgrade (The Wall Street Journal)
09/28/2022
Parth Vaishnav
The Long Road to Driverless Trucks (The New York Times)
06/18/2022
Parth Vaishnav
Self-Driving Big Rigs Are Coming. Is America Ready? (The Wall Street Journal)
05/24/2022
Parth Vaishnav
The U.S. Is Addicted To Gas Heating. A New Bill May Make Going Electric The Easy Choice. (The Huffington Post)
04/26/2022
Parth Vaishnav
A look under the hood of the trucking industry (The New York Times)
04/01/2022
Parth Vaishnav
Self-Driving Technology (WJR FM)
03/30/2022
Parth Vaishnav
Impact of automation on long-haul trucking (Dave Nemo Show)
03/28/2022
Parth Vaishnav
Study: Automated Long-haul Trucking Could Leave Hundreds of Thousands Without Jobs (dBusiness Magazine)
03/28/2022
Parth Vaishnav
Automation could send long-haul truckers driving into the sunset (Axios)
03/23/2022
Parth Vaishnav
Researchers study the impact of automation on trucking industry (Transportation Today)
03/23/2022
Parth Vaishnav
Self-driving semis may revolutionize trucking. And eliminate hundreds of thousands of jobs. (The Hill)
03/21/2022
Parth Vaishnav
Parth Vaishnav chosen for Public Engagement Faculty Fellowship
03/19/2022
Parth Vaishnav
Robot Truckers Could Replace 500K U.S. Jobs (Bloomberg News)
03/15/2022
Parth Vaishnav
Assessing the impact of automation on long-haul trucking (Science Daily)
01/24/2022
Parth Vaishnav
How a humble heating system became the next hot climate tool (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
09/02/2021
Parth Vaishnav
Heat Pumps Can Lower Home Emissions, but Not Everywhere (Eos)
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